Sunday, March 08, 2009

When I am visiting here, in Cambridge, sometimes we are ambitious and we cover half the state and the one next door. Other times, we can hardly get ourselves to walk to dinner – it is that damp and chilly. The coastal winds can do vicious things to the region.

But always, we make a point of taking the T downtown. Boston’s not a huge city and on a good day, you could hike from south to north (passing through South End, Back Bay, the Royal Mile, the Garden, Beacon Hill, the North End, the Wharves, Faneuil Hall) and back again in the scope of an afternoon. Today was a good day.

You need lots of food to get going though. At the South End Beehive, we get lots of food. The jazz trio plays cool tunes and we wolf down eggs shakshuka. And that’s after we've nibbled on the beignets.

eggs over spicy tomatoes and creamy grits at Beehive

And outside, the temperatures are climbing. Boston, for once, looks good and warm.

South End

outdoor tables

snowdrops!

Beacon Hill

Warm enough to draw crowds at the outdoor market, where shoppers buy crates of tomatoes and oranges. Others pause and slurp. Some are brave, some are timid and need a helping hand. Still others watch.

You can cover a lot of ground and not sea the water in this city, even though it is so much part of this city’s defining history. You tend to stick to the inland trails.

North End sights

And then again, you can seek out the shore and wonder why it doesn’t draw bigger crowds. There isn’t a soul here, by the bay. Just my daughter and me, watching planes take off across the water.

Retreating now, up the hill, we encounter men of old (and a woman of more recent persuasions), commemorating the Boston Massacre of 1770. Later, I tell Ed about this and I can just sense the eye roll over the phone. Not a massacre – says the man of precision. Merely an event.

And now we are on the T again, heading home.

riding the T

Not for long though. We head downtown again for dinner at O Ya. At the counter. To watch chefs prepare miracles.

warm eel, thai basil, kabayaki, Kyoto sansho

fried Kumamoto oyster, yuzu kosho aioli, squid ink bubbles

shima aji and santa barnara sea urchin, ceviche vinaigrette, cilantro

Are you surprised that the post didn't go up last night? And not first thing this morning either. Active daughter has me at the Yoga Center before I even have time to pop an espresso into me.

A beautiful sun is in its noon position, I'm sitting down now, just for a quick minute. I may even have time to load a few photos. Good day, patient readers! And, for those who take note of the date -- happy Woman's Day.